By Sarah Salvati
LIBERTY — December 31, 2002 – From Friday, December 20 through Sunday, December 22, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. each day, the residents of Inward House on Upper Ferndale Road in Liberty welcomed children and adults alike to their Fourth Annual Winter Wonderland.
The event, which was free to the public, was a team effort organized and put into action by both residents and employees of Inward House.
Upon arrival, guests were escorted around the large cluster of buildings by Inward House residents dressed as Santa’s elves. Each building was decorated according to this year’s theme, which was “A New York City Christmas,” complete with a Central Park Zoo, a Rockefeller Center ice skating rink, and a post office for kids to mail their letters to Santa.
Guests could also pay a visit to Santa’s Workshop, where “elves” were hard at work creating and wrapping toys, or have their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus themselves.
An FAO Schwartz gift shop sold candles, planters, and decorations hand crafted by Inward House residents.
A cafe, called “Inward on the Green,” served cookies, cupcakes, many different kinds of pastries, and hot chocolate.
Guests were also invited to visit the Dough Factory, where they could paint their own dough ornaments or write letters to Santa.
Martin Colavito, one of the directors of community service for Inward House, said, “We feel an incredible responsibility to the community to give back, because we’re all neighbors.”
Each day ended with a Christmas tree lighting and a choir of Inward House residents singing Christmas carols.